Space.com
• Josh Dinner
SpaceX has completed a single-engine test-firing of its next Starship spacecraft as preparations continue for the megarocket’s first test flight intended to reach orbit. The milestone marks another step toward an orbital demonstration of SpaceX’s fully integrated launch vehicle and spacecraft system.
Commercial Space
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SpaceX has completed a single-engine test-firing of its next Starship spacecraft as preparations continue for the megarocket’s first test flight intended to reach orbit. The milestone marks another step toward an orbital demonstration of SpaceX’s fully integrated launch vehicle and spacecraft system.
SpaceX launched 29 Starlink broadband satellites to low Earth orbit from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida. The Falcon 9’s first stage completed another recovery by landing on a droneship at sea, extending the company’s high-cadence deployment model.
York Space Systems said a sudden shift in U.S. government contracting policy for space hardware, compounded by a supply-chain disruption, drove a 32% reduction in its projected 2026 revenue. The company said delayed contracts—not lost business—will support a rebound in 2027.
Japanese propulsion startup Letara has closed a ¥2.6 billion ($16 million) pre-Series A funding round to advance development of its low-cost hybrid rocket engine technology. The financing gives Letara additional capital to mature an alternative propulsion approach for launch-vehicle applications.
High activity
Chinese commercial launch company Landspace plans to refly the first stage of its Zhuque-3 rocket within six months of its historic successful vertical landing on Aug. 18. The timeline signals an effort to rapidly demonstrate reusable launch operations and shorten turnaround between missions.
High activity
Elon Musk is promoting Starlink as a way to provide satellite broadband to India’s least-served regions, including more than 11,000 villages without 4G. The company’s market entry remains stalled amid security concerns and ongoing discussions with the Indian government.
California startup Elve has qualified its 100-watt millimeter-wave Traveling Wave Tube Amplifier platform for spaceflight, advancing a high-frequency communications component from development toward use in spacecraft and satellite systems. The qualification marks a program milestone for the company’s space-focused amplifier technology.
High activity
President Trump’s new National Space Transportation Policy calls for government support to scale U.S. launch and reentry activity to 1,000 missions annually by 2030. The policy arrives as SpaceX reaches 100 launches in 2026, Starlink approaches 11,000 operational satellites and Globalstar advances its LEO replenishment.
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